Cat meat trafficking dismantled, a thousand felines saved at the last minute

2023-10-27 16:02:36

An illicit cat meat trade was dismantled in China in mid-October. Alerted by animal rights activists, police recently intercepted a truck carrying 1,000 felines in Zhangjiagang, in the southeast of the country, reports the BBC.

The animals, which were entrusted to a shelter, were in transit and were to be delivered to southern China. It is unclear whether the cats belonged to families or were strays.

0.58 per 600 g of cat meat

Activists had spotted a large number of felines locked in wooden boxes in a cemetery. After monitoring the area, they witnessed the animals being loaded into a truck on October 12. They then stopped the vehicle and called authorities.

This affair provoked indignation among Chinese people on social networks. Many Internet users have denounced this trafficking, calling for laws to protect domestic animals such as cats and dogs, relays Slate.

This seizure highlighted significant trafficking, with cat meat being much cheaper in the country than pork or lamb. In China, 600 g of cat meat is only worth 4.5 yuan, or 0.58 euros. Many companies therefore substitute this meat for other, more expensive ones in the making of skewers, sausages or other processed products.